Auto theft and recovery

[Bart Carter]

I find myself in the market for a GPS type theft/recovery system. LoJack used to be the go to system when I used to sell cars...many years ago.

Is that still true, or is there something better?

[HCM]

I find myself in the market for a GPS type theft/recovery system. LoJack used to be the go to system when I used to sell cars...many years ago.

Is that still true, or is there something better?

Last I heard LoJack was still the best. My understanding is the pros know how to disable and remove the various factory options such as OnStar.

[UNM1136]

In my neighborhood LoJack kicks ass, until aerial assets are not available...

pat

[RJ]

On the subject...from another forum I'm on, a guy posted that his wife and he were out at the mall eating dinner in their new Porsche Cayenne. The car was parked in the mall parking garage, not far away. Apparently when they got back, the car was gone. They had both keys with them.

From what I surmised from the discussion, and the info they shared from LEO, thieves these days count on the technology these cars use, in terms of remote access and keyless entry/start. Apparently, the car key sends a periodic code to the car, such that when the user approaches, the car is pre-set to unlock and start with a push button.

If you have the key in your pocket of course, this happens automatically.

But what criminals are doing now is using gray market aftermarket devices, which use the same frequency to source and then amplify and re-broadcast the weak signals from remote keys located in another room, while the thief is standing next to the car. The car signal gets reboosted, and since the car doesn't know the difference, the car door opens and the car can be started, as normal. They drive off with your car to another location, where they can then hack into the software to reduplicate the actual key at their leisure. Scary.

As an EE, I find this pretty plausible. Enough so I started paying attention to where we put our keys at night, with our cars in the garage. Commercial key pockets with "RFID" shields are inexpensive; or a simple aluminum foil shroud will do the same thing. Or putting the key in a safe or other metal box can work as well. It's just a simple precaution but might help avoid a major headache if you have a car with remote entry.

[UNM1136]

On the subject...from another forum I'm on, a guy posted that his wife and he were out at the mall eating dinner in their new Porsche Cayenne. The car was parked in the mall parking garage, not far away. Apparently when they got back, the car was gone. They had both keys with them.

From what I surmised from the discussion, and the info they shared from LEO, thieves these days count on the technology these cars use, in terms of remote access and keyless entry/start. Apparently, the car key sends a periodic code to the car, such that when the user approaches, the car is pre-set to unlock and start with a push button.

If you have the key in your pocket of course, this happens automatically.

But what criminals are doing now is using gray market aftermarket devices, which use the same frequency to source and then amplify and re-broadcast the weak signals from remote keys located in another room, while the thief is standing next to the car. The car signal gets reboosted, and since the car doesn't know the difference, the car door opens and the car can be started, as normal. They drive off with your car to another location, where they can then hack into the software to reduplicate the actual key at their leisure. Scary.

As an EE, I find this pretty plausible. Enough so I started paying attention to where we put our keys at night, with our cars in the garage. Commercial key pockets with "RFID" shields are inexpensive; or a simple aluminum foil shroud will do the same thing. Or putting the key in a safe or other metal box can work as well. It's just a simple precaution but might help avoid a major headache if you have a car with remote entry.

Remote entry is convienient, but a bad security decision. Boosting the actual key signal is bad, getting you key signal cloned from an 18 inch or closer "brush contact" is also a very real, more reliable option.

pat

[JCN]

The RFID hack thing is a common theft method where people park in their driveways but put their car keys just inside the garage where the signal can be hijacked. Good idea to have foil in the key dish.

[45dotACP]

Damn, good thing I drive a 2013 Hyundai [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[RJ]

Remote entry is convienient, but a bad security decision. Boosting the actual key signal is bad, getting you key signal cloned from an 18 inch or closer "brush contact" is also a very real, more reliable option.

pat

Gotcha. I appreciate the comment, considering where you are. (*)

* We went out to lunch out one afternoon from a day on base. We picked a restaurant on Central. I left my work briefcase, which included my work laptop etc. in the rental, closed the door and had lunch. When I got back to the car, I HAD LEFT IT UNLOCKED. ON CENTRAL. FOR 60 MINUTES at least. Thank The Lord nothing was missing. Geez God was smiling at me that day, but I am pretty sure He was pointing a finger and calling me an idiot behind His back.

[farscott]

Some newer vehicles determine the location of the key and will not start if a key is not in the vehicle regardless of how the vehicle is unlocked (keyless entry, RFID, remote). Our two vehicles require a key to be in the driver's seat. I have tried starting both with my key in my briefcase in the passenger seat with no luck. The farthest away I can use is one of the cupholders as that is where the emergency (fob battery dead) sensor is located.

[UNM1136]

Some newer vehicles determine the location of the key and will not start if a key is not in the vehicle regardless of how the vehicle is unlocked (keyless entry, RFID, remote). Our two vehicles require a key to be in the driver's seat. I have tried starting both with my key in my briefcase in the passenger seat with no luck. The farthest away I can use is one of the cupholders as that is where the emergency (fob battery dead) sensor is located.

Not sure whether the cloning stuff would work here, but not really interested in being a test subject.

My 16 year old minivan has RFID in the keys...$94 for a spare key last I checked.

pat